7 Ways Your Business Can Help the Environment

A great way to celebrate Earth Day is to think of ways that you can help the environment. To get you started in the right direction, here are some ways companies can help the environment and themselves in terms of saving money and more.

Newsletters to PDF

Instead of printing out your newsletter or flyer, convert it to a PDF (for free using Primo PDF) and send it via email instead.

Business Benefit: You will save a lot in printing costs, especially if you do regular newsletters.

Online Seminars

Instead of hosting a class, conference, or seminar everyone has to travel to for attendance, host it online like the upcoming Social Media Success Summit.

Business Benefit: More attendees can afford the registration fees and come to your event because of the savings in travel costs.

eBooks

Instead of publishing a hardcopy book, report, or training manual, make it an eBook instead.

Business Benefit: Free eBooks can help you build your email list, as well as be distributed and updated easily.

Resumes by Email

Instead of having job applicants fax their resumes, have them email it instead.

Business Benefit: Review resumes on your PC and keep them organized for future reference while keeping your desk clutter free!

Work at Home

Instead of having employees who live far from the office drive into work, let them work some or most days at home instead.

Business Benefit: Save on in house office supplies!

Digital Business Cards

Instead of giving out a lot of business cards, setup a bluetooth business card that you can share with others between smartphones.

Business Benefit: Your contact information will go directly into someone’s address book as opposed to being lost in a pile, plus you can include more information without cramming it all on a small card.

Online Invoice Delivery

Instead of mailing or faxing invoices, why not email them?

Business Benefit: Invoices get delivered the same day and usually with the added bonus of having a delivery receipt from Outlook so clients cannot say they did not receive it as an excuse to delay payment.

Bonus Tip: #8 Recycling

Start a recycling drive at your office. With so many everyday items used in offices you’ll want to ensure they are recycled in the best way. This includes any electronic waste as well as toner cartridge recycling.

Business Benefit: Your office is eco-friendly, and some programs even pay you for recycling your e-waste.

Your Earth Day Tips

These are only just a few ways businesses can help the environment – tells us how your company helps the environment in the comments below.

Earth Day Resources

Learn more about ways you can help the environment in your personal life, as well as great deals and freebies you can get today!

About Kristi Hines

5 Comments

ChristieApr 23, 2010

I wish more businesses would start doing these things! For some reason, “we” all still think we have to fly somewhere just to show something to someone in a remote office … and some people I know even print out their emails.

Ari HerzogApr 24, 2010

These are no-brainer ideas, but the problem is the businesses who continue to do things the old way don't have brains either. Something's not working.

Kristi HApr 26, 2010

Very true. I always find it somewhat amusing (really sad) when I hear someone complaining about the fact that printing is so expensive and they are sure that half of the people that they send mailers to end up just tossing them, but they refuse to consider getting their clients to opt-in for an email newsletter instead.

Kristi HApr 26, 2010

The invoices are so much more convenient via email – when I did freelancing, that is all I sent. People seemed to be receptive to being able to organize their billing via email versus paper mailing.

Kristi HApr 26, 2010

I like the PrimoPDF – if you're determined to save your emails outside of Outlook or whatever email program you use, you can print it in PDF and carry all of your emails in a USB drive if you choose, as oppose to having a drawer full of papers.